ELA+Kindergarten+Lesson+2

Topic: Back to School

Common Core Standards: RL.K.3--With prompting and support, identify characters, settings and major events in a story. RI.K.7---With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the text in which they appear. RF.K.1d---Recognize and name all upper and lowercase letters of the alphabet. RF.K.2a---Recognize and produce rhyming words. SL.K.2--- Confirm understanding of text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media by asking and answering questions about key details an requesting clarification if something is not understood.

Suggested Student Objectives:
 * Listen for how to pause for punctuation in a selection.
 * Recite alphabet.
 * Preview letters P, Q, R, S, and T.
 * Understand characters.
 * Identify rhyming words.

Suggested Additional Readings: A Few Blocks by Cybele Young Welcome to Kindergarten by Ann Rockwell The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes The Name Jar by Xangsook Choi Chamelia by Ethan Long

Resource Links: [|Back to School Fun] [|Videos] (Search "How Dinosaurs Say Goodnight" and "Getting to School Safely." [|Back to School Activities and Games]

Activities: 1. Egg Carton School Bus

__ Materials: __ lid (TOP) of an egg carton yellow paint or markers black construction paper or 2 lids from milk jugs (for wheels) black marker small cutouts of people from magazines, coloring books or hand drawn

__ Instructions: __ cut the lid off an egg carton Paint (or color with marker) the lid yellow. We only used one coat, but you could do two. While the paint is drying, cut 2 circles out of black construction paper Allow the children to cut out their circles with safety scissors The wheels don't have to be perfectly round -- let them have fun. Once the paint is dry, glue on the wheels. Glue the images of people onto the bus. The carton we used had holes down the center, so we glued the people into the holes. Write SCHOOL along the top of the bus (or if your child is beginning to write on their own, let them write it out).

2. Have children view the video "How Dinosaurs Say Goodnight!" and compare it to the story of the week "How Dinosaurs Go to School?".

3. Friendship Salad

__ Items Needed: __ Very Large Bowl Large Mixing Spoon paper plates or bowls plastic spoons Several cans of fruit (a variety is good) Marshmallows Yogurt 1 very old and rotten banana

__ Directions: __ I explain to the kids that the big bowl is like our classroom and that there are many important things that our room needs..especially good friends and happy days at school.

Add one can of fruit...."These are the kind kids in our room."(You can elaborate....they help each other at school, and wait their turn in line...)

Add another can of fruit..."These are the hard workers in our room" (..they get their work done and always try their best, even when work gets hard!)

Add another can of fruit..."These are the kids who share" (...they know how to share their supplies, and they share the toys at center time....)

Add some marshmallows..."These are the kind words being said in our room." (...words like please and thank you, and I'm sorry, when someone gets hurt...)

Add the yogurt...."This is the happiness we feel when we are at school." (...when we laugh, when we learn, when we have treats, and when we get to play at recess....)

Talk about the yummy friendship salad, how good it will tasted and then pretend to begin to peel the rotten banana. The kids have always yelled "Stop!!!" before I even get the banana peeled. I tell them that this is the Rotten Banana that could cause trouble in our happy classroom. This might be a banana that calls names, does not share, refuses to do school work, etc... We all vote NOT to put the rotten banana in our Friendship Salad.

This is your opportunity to talk with the children about why the children do not want this banana in their friendship salad AND how to make the connection with them about the importance of following rules and having good manners. It is fun to hear the children say throughout the year, "We don't want any rotten bananas in here!" or "Don't act like that or you'll be like a Rotten Banana!"

Assessments: Draw something you need for back to school and label it.

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